Meet Gorilla Glass 4:
Corning says it’s up to
two times tougher than competitive glasses
These days
a scratch-resistant display has become a crucial feature while buying
a smartphones. After all, those with buttery fingers don’t want that
expensive piece of tech to crack at a drop. Corning is the leading brand when
it comes to adding a sturdy glass layer to smartphones. The company has now
released a successor to its Gorilla Glass 3 and fourth iteration of its
durable cover glass design – Gorilla
Glass 4.
The new Gorilla Glass
4 is said to be even tougher and specifically designed to handle brutal drops
and falls. It has been manufactured using Corning’s proprietary fusion
draw process that according to the company adds additional durability while
maintaining the thinness and optical clarity that Gorilla Glasses are
known for.
In a press
statement, the company said it has examined hundreds of devices to
create new drop tests that are close enough to real-life situations.
On examining
the broken devices, it has found that the damage caused by sharp contact
accounted for more than 70 percent. “The scientists used the newly created
methods to drop devices face down from one meter, such that the cover glass
directly contacted a rough surface,” the company adds.
According to the
company, some of the highlights of these tests are – Gorilla Glass 4 is up
to two times tougher than competitive glasses, survives up to 80 percent of the
time and Soda-lime glass that is used in cheaper commercial devices breaks
nearly 100 percent of the time.
James R. Steiner,
senior vice president and general manager, Corning Specialty Materials. “With
Gorilla Glass 4, we have focused on significantly improving protection against
sharp contact damage, which is the primary reason that mobile devices break.
Dropping and breaking a phone is a common problem, and one that our customers
have asked us to help address.”
The company plans to
work on more durable glasses and close that 20 percent gap of shattered
displays with Gorilla Glass. It is reportedly also working at better sunlight
legibility and 3D/curved glass. Meanwhile, we know that next year’s top of the
line devices will come with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 4.